Help American farmers save record food crops for hungry people! : 1946 farm labor program : Sept. 14th supplement

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Sept. 14th suppiemeht to May I, 1946 fact sheet

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Foct Sheet • 1946 FARM LABOR PROGRAM
EXTENSION SERVICE.

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

THE SITUATION

The big push in the 1946 agricultural harvest is now on.... and will continue
into November. American farmers, with the aid of excellent growing weather
and a slow but constantly improving domestic labor supply, have again produced
record crops. .. .enough to feed our own people well, and to go a long way in
helping fill the minimxam needs of great n\imbers of overseas people who ceua
look to no other source of supply.

Strenuous and maximum emergency measures already have been taken to round-up a
labor force of local, interstate and foreign workers to guarantee a successful
harvesting of these record crops, but there are yet gaps in the lines. Unless
they are filled, some of the vital production may be lost. Recruiting of this'
additional labor among adults and older youth in towns and cities surrounding
areas of high production, is the job immediately ahead. There is greater need
for more local and other domestic workers this year (1) because crops are
larger, and (2) because we will not have the help of 125,000 prisoners of war
and 25,000 other foreign workers who were in last year's peak farm labor force.

”0nly by continued cooperation among all of us, can we as a nation
do a full share in the months to come" in feeding our own penple
and ”in relieving the hunger that still exists in the world”,

PRESIDENT TRUMAN says.

"Famine and its threats, inevitably a ciirse of war’s wake, today
grip large sections of the world’s inhabitants. Amelioration of
this widespread distress imposes a responsibility for increased
toil toward greater production and increased care toward greater
conservation", GENERAL DOUGLAS MacARTHUR said in mid August.

1946 Crop Facts: Despite adverse growing conditions for late maturing crops

during August, the indicated volixme of 1946 general crop production is still
above the previous peak attained in 1942 and 26^ larger than the 1923-32
average, according to the September 10, 1946 USDA crop report.

1392 (9-46)

- 2 -

HIGHER WAGES AND PIECE WORK RATES

All who work in the harvest army, will receive prevailing hourly wage and piece work
rates. These vary from state to state, and community to community. According to
’’Farm Labor" (Eirreau of Agricultural Economics, USDA, July 12, 1946) farm wage rates
had risen 10^ since April 1, 1946, about double the usual increase during that
period.

LABOR NEED

Starting now and continuing thru October in most states, and thru November and into
December in others, need for additional harvest labor will be at peak in food and
fiber production. This need (see detailed listing on page 3) will vary from state
to state, and from county to county, according to availability of labor and condi-
tions of weather affecting crop development.

The primary need is for adult and older youth who can spend the peak harvest season
or a major part of it, in full time work. .. .worker s who will stick until the job
is done. However, in bridging gaps in labor supply in some areas and some crops,
there will be work that can be done on a part or short time basis. Some communities
and some crops require the services of only sturdy men, but in others there is work
for women and for youth.

Maximum recruitment in towns and cities surrounding areas of high production is
additionally important now because the housing shortage which is gripping town^
and cities, also has reached into the farm areas where all available housing is
loaded with workers. Other workers who can live at home and be transported daily
to and from farms, are needed now.

GUIDES IN RECRUITING

As guides for those who have time to help save all the highly vital crops, local
calls for workers of the type needed, will be issued in each community as the need
develops. Thru newspapers and radio, town and city people will get this informa-
tion. Keeping ready to respond will be the most helpful thing they can do now.
Newspapers and radio, advertisers, etc., have done a swell job in conditioning town
and city people for these peak harvest calls. They can continue to help by bearing
down on the importance of being ready to answer emergency "save the crops" calls.
Often these may develop overnight, as weather and other harvesting conditions
shift.

Sources of Reliable Information: Newspapers, radio stations, and other organiza-

tions and individuals who want to assist in local recruiting, can obtain reliable
and up-to-date information from these sources:

1. At national level: Eixtension Farm Labor Program office. United States

Department of Agriculture, Washington 25, D. C. (Farm labor information
office, Rm. 6405 So. Bldg.j Telephone - Republic 4142, Ext. 4984).

2. State level: State farm labor and Extension Service offices. State land-

grant colleges.

3. County and community level: Office of county agricultural agent.

4. In cities where there is no county agent or no farm labor office, infor-
mation generally is available at public employment offices, such as USES.

- 3 -

WHSnE- WHAT- WHEN

FARM HARVEST WORK

Alabama: peanuts. Sept. 1 - Oct. Ij cotton. Sept. - Dec.

Arizona and New Mexico: cotton. Sept. 15 - Dec. 21.

Arkansas: cotton. Sept. 1 - Dec. 1; rice. Sept. 1 - Oct. 16.

California: fruits and vegetables. Sept. 1 - Oct. 31; cotton. Sept. 1 »

Dec. 21; sugar beets. Sept. 1 - Dec. 15.

Colorado: potatoes and onions. Sept. 15 - Oct. 15; sugar beets. Sept. 25 -

Nov . 10 .

Connecticut, Vermont, New Hampshire, Rhode Island: apples. Sept. 10 -

Octo 31.

Delaware; vegetables. Sept. 1 - Oct. 10; apples. Sept. - Oct.; corn. Sept. -
Nov.

Georgia: peanuts. Sept. 1-20; cotton. Sept. - Dec.

Idaho: beans. Sept, 1 - Oct. 10; potatoes. Sept. 20 - Oct. 20; sugar beets.

Sept. 25 - Nov. 10.

Illinois and Iowa; corn. Sept. 11 thru Nov.

Indiana: tomatoes. Sept, 1 - Oct. 10; corn. Sept. 11 - Nov. 10.

Louisiana: rice. Sept. 1 - Oct. 15; cotton. Sept. 1 - Dec. 1; sugar cane,

Oct. 10 - Dec. 31.

Jfe-ine: potatoes. Sept. 10 - Oct. 20.

Maryland; vegetables. Sept. - Oct. 15; apples. Sept. 10 - Nov. 1.

Massachusetts; apples. Sept, 15 - Oct, 31; cranberries. Sept, - Oct. 16;
potatoes and tobacco. Sept. 1 - Oct, 1.

Michigan; vegetables. Sept. 1 - Oct, 1; fruit. Sept. 5 - Oct, 20; sugar
beets. Sept, 20 - Oct. 31; potatoes, Oct, 1 - 20,

Minnesota: potatoes. Sept. 15 - Oct. 11; sugar beets. Sept. 20 - Oct. 31,

Mississippi: cotton. Sept. 15 - Jan.

Missouri: cotton. Sept. 1 - Dec, 21; corn. Sept. 1 into Dec.

Montana, South Dakota and Wyoming; sugar beets. Sept. 26 - Nov, 10.

Nebraska; potatoes. Sept. 15 - Oct. 20; sugar beets. Sept. 25 - Nov. 10.

New Jersey; vegetables. Sept, - Oct. 15.

New York; fruit. Sept. - Oct.; vegetables. Sept, - Oct. 10; potatoes.

Sept. - Oct. 16,

North Carolina; peanuts. Sept. 1 - 20; cotton. Sept. - Nov.

North Dakota; potatoes, Oct, 1 - 20; sugar beets. Sept. 25 - Nov. 10,

Ohio; vegetables. Sept. 1 - Oct, 10; fruit. Sept. 1 - Oct. 31; corn. Sept. -
thru Nov.; sugar beets. Sept, 20 - Oct. 31.

Oklahoma; cotton. Sept. 1 - Dec. 21.

Oregon and Washington; fruit. Sept. 1 - Oct. 31; vegetables. Sept, 1 -

Oct. 31; hops. Sept, 1 - Oct, 1; sugar beets. Sept. 25 - Nov. 10;
potatoes (Oregon) Sept. 10 - Oct, 20.

Pennsylvania; apples. Sept. 10 - Oct. 20; potatoes. Sept. - Oct,

South Carolina: peanuts. Sept,; cotton. Sept. 1 into Nov,

Tennessee; cotton. Sept. 11 - Dec. 11.

Texas; cotton. Sept, 1 - Dec. 1; citrus, Oct. 1 on; rice. Sept, 1 - Oct. 15.

Utah; fruits and vegetables. Sept. 1 - Oct. 31; sugar beets. Sept. 20 -
Nov, 15.

Virginia; apples. Sept. 1 - Nov, 1; peanuts. Sept.; beans. Sept. 1 - Oct, 16.

West Virginia; apples. Sept. 5 - Nov. 1.

Wisconsin; fruit. Sept. 1 - Oct, 10; potatoes. Sept. 20 - Oct. 10; sugar
beets. Sept. - Oct.